Does the Apache have two pilots?

The Apache has two cockpit sections: The pilot sits in the rear and the gunner sits in the front. The pilot sits in the rear section, and the co-pilot/gunner sits in the front section. As you might expect, the pilot maneuvers the helicopter and the gunner aims and fires the weapons.

What do Apache helicopters do?

The Apache attack helicopter can operate in all weathers, day or night and detect, classify and prioritise up to 256 potential targets in a matter of seconds. It carries a mix of weapons including rockets, Hellfire missiles and a 30mm chain gun.

Why do we need Apache helicopter pilots?

The men and women who fly them act as archangels providing overwatch for troops; the pilots of these war machines have been saving U.S. military ground troops for years. The YAH-64 Apache helicopter prototype was first flown in 1975. Hughes received a full-scale development contract in 1976.

Can a helicopter shoot and fly at the same time?

Mike Folse proved that a helicopter could fly and shoot at the same time. Bell Helicopter’s prototype for the AH-1G Cobra flies in front of two UH-1 Hueys, the aircraft it was designed to protect. (Bell Helicopter Historical Archives via Ray Wilhite)

How does the Apache helicopter compare to the Cobra?

The Apache has more useful load than a Cobra. Useful load in an attack helicopter means weapons. The Cobra is faster, but that means nothing on the battlefield. Armor, weapons, and loiter time mean ten times as much as top speed. When you get in to a fight in a helicopter you aren’t yanking and banking like an F16 in a dogfight.

How many AH-64E Apache helicopters have been produced?

According to Boeing, more than 100 AH-64E Apache Helicopters have been produced since October 2014. The helicopter is simply a tool. The pilots — with their knowledge and skill — are the blood that is pumped through the veins and arteries of this war machine.